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A confronting account of life for asylum seekers in the Nauru and Manus Island refugee processing centres written by UNSW's Madeline Gleeson is a finalist in the Victorian Premier's 2017 Literary Awards.

Gleeson, a research associate at the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law in UNSW Law, wrote the book as an attempt to go beyond the rumours, allegations, secrecy and political spin and inform Australians about what has happened on Nauru and Manus Island since 2012.

The great paradox of Indonesian democracy is on display for all the world to see.

On the one hand, there is greater freedom of expression and association for all. But on the other, this has given fuel to Islamists to espouse lawlessness and violence in the absence of a strong state.

Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act has received an extraordinary amount of attention over the past five years. Indeed, the debate has transcended what the section actually does. The provision has become an icon for those concerned rightly about the erosion of freedom of speech in Australia. It has also become a central argument in the culture wars for those who feel that political correctness and progressive thinking have gone too far.

"Justice Kiefel has only rarely been at odds with her colleagues on the court over her nine years of service, but at the same time she has consistently shown she is not reluctant to disagree as the case might demand," Professor Lynch said.

Statistics compiled with fellow Professor George Williams, highlight the increasing trend towards joint judgments that has been a hallmark of the French court.

Make no mistake – the language of human rights is a powerful tool of international politics. It can shape the way we think about other countries. We are wide open to suggestion when we hear the words human rights, because they sound so pure and precious. How could any country get away with violating them? Shouldn't we target violators, and stop them?

On average, one person is displaced each second by a disaster-related hazard. In global terms, that’s about 26 million people a year.

Most move within their own countries, but some are forced across international borders. As climate change continues, more frequent and extreme weather events are expected to put more people in harm’s way.